Bowling ball bag



Feb. 3, 1959 T. s. CART BOWLING BALL BAG Filed May 9, 1957 INVENTOR. Theodore 5. Cari ATTORNEY United States Patent C BOWLING BALL BAG Theodore 5. Cart, Harbourton, N. J.

Application May 9, 1957, Serial No. 658,058

3 Claims. (Cl. 206-1) This invention relates to bags for bowling balls and is directed particularly to constructions which include a compartment for receiving bowling shoes or other articles.

Some bowling ball bags heretofore produced have been of such size as to permit the insertion of shoes into the bag adjacent the ball, but in such usage, there is always danger of scratching the ball when the shoes or ball are inserted or removed. Those bags which provide separate compartments for the shoes and ball have generally been so constructed that the ball may move about while in the bag with the result that the finger openings in the ball, by which the ball is grasped, are not always located in a convenient position to permit the ball to be removed easily.

In accordance with the present invention, a novel type of bowling ball bag is provided in which there are separate compartments for the shoes and ball but ready access to the ball is assured so that it may be easily inserted and removed even when displaced during travel or for any other reason.

These advantages are preferably attained by constructing the bag with a compartment forming divider which is flexibly mounted so as to permit it to be lifted or displaced to afford greater access to the ball compartment for insertion and removal of the ball. vThe construction preferably is provided with relatively stiff protecting walls extending about the ball compartment to protect the ball from injury and also may include novel means for holding the ball in place within the bag.

Accordingly the principal objects of the present invention are to facilitate the insertion and removal of a bowling ball into and from a bag and to protect the ball from injury.

A specific object of the invention is to provide a bowling ball bag with a compartment forming divider which is movable to permit easy insertion and removal of the ball.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description thereof wherein reference is made to the figures of the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective illustrating a typical embodiment of the present invention; and

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in the drawing, the bowling ball bag is provided with an outer substantially rectangular body 2 having a handle 4 secured to the top thereof. The bottom 6 of the body, as well as the end walls 8 and the top 10 thereof, are preferably formed of relatively stiff material such as plywood, fiber board, sheet metal or the like capable of supporting the ball and protecting the same against injury. The rear wall 12 of the bag also may be formed of stiff protecting material and is fixedly secured to the bottom, top and ends of the bag to form a sub- 2,872,029 Fatented Feb. 3, 1959 "ice stantially rigid construction. The exterior of the bag may be covered with decorative sheet material 14 such as fabric, leather or plastic material and is preferably bound at the edges as indicated at 16 to present a neat, attractive appearance.

The front of the bag is closed by a cover 18 which is hingedly secured to the bottom 6 by a fabric or other suitable type of hinge means 20 and is designed to be secured in closed position by means of slide fastener 22 or the like. The cover 18 preferably is also formed of relatively stiff material capable of protecting the ball from injury.

Within the bag there is located a ball support 24 which may be of any suitable type, but as shown, includes a base 26 secured to the bottom 6 by means of rivets or other suitable fasteners 28. Additional ball holding means 30 may also be provided and preferably are in the form of arms which extend outwardly and upwardly from beneath the base 26 at opposite sides of the ball 32.

A partition member or divider 34 is positioned within the bag and is located so that it will normally engage the top of a ball carried by the ball support 24. The partition member is preferably formed of relatively stiff material and is supported at its opposite ends by flexible hangers such as the strips of material 36 which may be formed of fabric or the like. The hangers 36 may be stitched or otherwise secured to the end walls 8 of the bag at points 38 located near the top of the bag'and extend downward to the ends of the partition member 34 so that the latter is movably suspended in position to engage the top of the ball 32.

T he construction thus provided serves to present a ball receiving compartment 40 in the lower portion of the bag and a separate shoe compartment 42 in the upper portion of the bag. Nevertheless, the partition member or divider 34, being suspended or flexibly supported, is capable of being raised to the dotted line position as shown in Fig. 2 whereby the ball 32 may be readily inserted into the ball receiving compartment and can be carefully positioned on the ball support 24 on the bottom of the bag. Thereafter the partition member may be lowered so that it will rest against the top of the ball whereupon the upper shoe compartment will be accessible for insertion and removal of bowling shoes or other articles. The ease with which the partition 34 can be lifted or moved aside renders it possible to insert the fingers into the finger openings 44 in the ball even though the ball may have been displaced on the support 24 within compartment 45. Therefore the ball can be easily grasped under any conditions which normally will be presented in use.

Bowling ball bags constructed in this manner are neat and attractive in appearance and serve to enable both the ball and shoes or other paraphernalia to be carried easily and safely. At the same time, the ball is protected from being scratched or marred by the shoes and yet it may be inserted and removed from the bag without difficulty.

It will of course be apparent that any suitable type of ball support may be provided and the partition member or divider. 34 may if desired be formed of flexible material, although the use of relatively stifi material is normally preferred. It will also be evident that either the front or rear wall forming members of the bag may be made of flexible material, but for more effective protec- '[lOilfl of the ball these members are preferably relatively sti These and other changes and modifications may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the various elements of the combination, and in view thereof, it should be understood that the particular embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described above is intended to be illustrative only.

I claim:

1. A bowling ball bag comprising a relatively stiff bottom portion and substantially selfsustaining top and end portions together with front and rear walls, the rear wall being connected to said bottom, top and end portions and the front Wall being hingedly connected to said bot tom portion for opening and closing the bag, means detachably securing said front wall to said end and top portions, ball holding means mounted on the bottom portion, a divider extending across the interior of the bag parallel to said bottom portion and normally spaced from the ball holding means a distance substantially equal to the diameter of a bowling ball so as to engage the top of a ball positioned on said holding means, said divider being spaced from the top portion to define a shoe compartment disposed above a lower ball compartment, both of said compartments being open at the front side for access thereto when the front wall of the bag is opened, and means movably connecting the divider to the bag permitting upward displacement of the divider without removal thereof in placing a ball on or removing a ball from saidball holding means.

2. A bowling ball bag comprising a relatively stitf bottom portion and substantially self-sustaining top and end portions together with front and rear walls, the rear wall being connected to said bottom, top and end portions and the front Wall being hingedly connected to said bottom portion for opening and closing the bag, means detachably securing said front wall to said end and top portions, ball holding means mounted on the bottom portion, a divider extending across the interior of the bag parallel to said bottom portion and normally spaced from the ball holding means a distance substantially equal to the diameter of a bowling ball so as to engage the top of a ball positioned on said holding means, said divider being spaced from the top of the bag to define a shoe compartment which isopen at the side for access thereto when the front wall of the bag is opened, and flexible means connected to the ends of the divider and extending upwardly therefrom adjacent the ends of the bag and connected to the end portions of the bag being connected to the end portions and said flexible means suspending the divider within the bag while permitting the divider to be raised for easy insertion and removal of a bowling ball.

3. A bowling ball bag comprising a relatively stiff bottom portion and substantially self-sustaining top and end portions, a movable closure connected to one of said portions for closing one side of the bag, means detachably securing said movable closure to the others of said portions, a divider movably attached to the bag and normally lying in a plane extending generally parallel to and spaced from the top and bottom portions thereof and at right angles to said movable closure so as to define a lower ball compartment and an upper shoe compartment Within the bag, said compartments being open at the side for access thereto upon opening of said movable closure, and flexible means connecting the divider to said end portions of the bag to movably suspend the divider within the bag while permitting temporary displacement thereof to facilitate insertion and removal of a bowling ball to and from said ball compartment.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 775,343 Anderson Nov. 22, 1904 1,024,536 Taylor Apr. 30, 1912 1,300,921 Briggs Apr. 15, 1919 2,046,244 Carner June 30, 1936 2,738,041 Haes Mar. 13, 1956 v FOREIGN PATENTS 507,798 7 France July 5, 1920 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N0a 2 872 O29 February 3 1959 Theodore 3,, Cart It is herebj certified that error appears in the-printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column i line 5 strike out "said flexible means" and insert the same before "being" in line 4 same column 4:.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of November 1960.

(SEAL) Attest: I KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT c. WATSON Commissioner of Patents Attesting Officer 

